Nongshim Red Force won 2-0 against BNK PierX in the second round of the '2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK)' regular season, held at the Jongno Chijijik LoL Park on the 16th. Although they started both sets in a favorable position, they ultimately lost by once again exposing their weakness of failing to convert that advantage into a victory. As of today, Nongshim Red Force has recorded eight consecutive losses.

The following is the full text of the loser's interview with Head Coach Choi In-kyu and 'Scout' Lee Ye-chan.

Q. How would you summarize today's match?

Head Coach Choi In-kyu: In the first set, I thought the opponent had better value in the early to mid-game, so we should have played with the mindset of seizing the initiative and snowballing. We unfortunately lost because we failed to properly perform our roles in dragons and team fights. In the second set, an unfamiliar dynamic emerged in the bottom lane, so I hoped to envision a winning scenario, but the early laning phase did not go as planned. "We unfortunately lost because we misjudged the teamfight dynamics starting from the third dragon fight." 'Scout': Simply put, there were too many shortcomings throughout the early, mid, and late game of sets 1 and 2. I think it is difficult to win matches because of those issues. Q. Expectations were high with the recruitment of 'Scout,' but the team is currently in a crisis. The commentators also pointed out that the team is not coordinating well; how do you assess the current state of the team? Head Coach Choi In-kyu: The meta so far has been centered on securing bottom lane dominance to gain an advantage in the laning phase, with the jungle and mid laners capitalizing on that gain together. Even when we had an advantage in the bottom lane, we failed to capitalize on that advantage effectively, so we lacked the ability to adapt to the meta. So, when watching the games, you must have felt frustrated whether you were in a favorable or unfavorable position. Q. You took measures such as trading ADCs and replacing support players, but it did not lead to a victory. Coach Choi In-kyu: As a result, with the continued losses, I think we failed to find and prove a winning formula in the current meta. Q. It is difficult to explain everything in detail, but prior to the trade, I determined that our team lacked a lane capable of reliably finishing games. There were many instances where we lost momentum in the late game even after leading well in the early and mid-game, and the team atmosphere was also subdued. At the time, I thought that was the right decision to make that choice to turn the tide. Q. Do you think there is a possibility of normalizing the team by the second half of the season or the Worlds qualifiers? Head Coach Choi In-kyu: Although we lost today's match, we saw potential when we conducted scrims with the changed roster. I am confident that we will definitely be able to rebound with a good performance by the end of the season. Q. You mentioned that it was regrettable that you couldn't secure the 3-dragon teamfight setup well in the second set. How should we have positioned the game to gain an advantage? Head Coach Choi In-kyu: Although I have only seen fragments of the match, we should have created a mid-lane standoff utilizing the range of Kog'Maw and Lulu, or initiated team fights by forcing the opponent to rush near the dragon to counter their charge. However, the most regrettable aspect of the third dragon team fight is that we failed to do either, giving the opponent a very favorable position and situation. Q. As a veteran player, you must feel heavy-hearted about the team's eight-game losing streak. Q. Lastly, please say a few words to the fans who support us. Head Coach Choi In-kyu: I feel sorry for disappointing the fans by recording an 8-game losing streak. 'Scout': Although the situation is very bad due to the losing streak, playing today's game gave me the feeling that the team's direction has finally aligned. I think it is more hopeful than before because I have seen potential. Ultimately, in important stages like the playoffs or qualifiers, the one who wins last is the winner, so I will focus solely on that and work hard to improve my performance.